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| Mark Chesnutt > Albums & Lyrics |
Since hitting the Nashville scene, hot on the heels of the infamous class of '89, Mark Chesnutt has come to be recognized as one of country music's real treasures. Critics have hailed him as a classic country singer of the first order. Country's elite entertainers, from George Jones to George Strait, have sung his praises. His status among fans can be gauged from the 14 #1 hits and 23 top ten singles to his credit, and from the four platinum and five gold records he has earned.
For these reasons, one needs to look no further than the basics.
It's the music that has kept me around this long, is the way Mark puts it. In a world that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark has a knack for picking great songs and delivering them with real emotional resonance and a world-class voice. In doing so, he has become a guiding light of his generation for the love of genuine country music--as well as a consistent hitmaker.
He got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont, Texas, learning from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector, and major fan of classic country music. Mark soaked up his father's influence and began making a name for himself, one set at a time, while he was still a teenager. He sang Lefty, Merle, George, and Waylon, developing superb crowd rapport and a feel for authentic country.
Bob Chesnutt had often traveled to Nashville to record and look for wider exposure, and he began taking Mark there to record when Mark was just 17. After a series of singles on regional labels over the course of nearly a decade, word got out about this young singer. Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own turf, and recognized the wells of raw talent he drew from. Soon he had a record deal and his career was off and running.
With the release of his very first single, "Too Cold At Home", Mark established himself as one of country's most authentic and talented vocal stylists. He won the CMA Horizon Award, and no less a judge of talent than George Jones said, "This boy is the real deal." That initial success gave Mark the chance to do what he enjoyed most--sing for country fans, this time on a national level.
The first couple years it was non-stop, he says. There was one time I didn't go home for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a-half, then right back out.
The dedication paid off. Mark's shows built a fan base that helped his records climb the charts one after the other and made him one of the ten most-played radio artists of the ‘90s. It didn't hurt that his songs were among the decades most memorable, from the pure fun of "Bubba Shot The Jukebox" to the pure emotion of "l Think Of Something." Through the years, there have also been "Brother Jukebox", "Blame It On Texas", "Old Flames Have New Names", "Old Country", "It Sure Is Monday", "Almost Goodbye", "I Just Wanted You To Know", "Going Through The Big D", "It's A Little Too Late", "Gonna Get A Life", among many others, as well as one of country's biggest of the past few years, "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", which stayed at the top of the charts for a full month.
For all the recorded highlights he has generated, though, Mark Chesnutt lives for the stage. I make records because I want people to come see my show, he says with a grin. Fans who have seen him perform know just what he means.
Just listening to music is great, he says, but I've got to be out there on stage making it. As one of the industry's hardest-working concert performers, his dedication to taking live music to his fans is unshakable. A steady touring presence since 1990, he remains on the road, currently gearing up for this summer's Rockin' Roadhouse Tour with his friends Tracy Lawrence and Joe Diffie.
Newly signed to Columbia Records Nashville, Mark is presently in the studio at work on a new album slated for summer release. The first single, "SHE WAS" shipped at the end of January and an overwhelming response prompted the song to take a spot in the top 50 of the R &R charts by early February. I'm excited about every aspect of my career at this point, he says. "The first song is one of the most moving songs I've ever had the chance to record." His excitement is shared by his fans and the media alike.
Mark Chesnutt gave honky-tonk music back its soul, noted critic Robert K. Oermann has said. "When he appeared on an arid musical landscape back in 1990, I dubbed him the hillbilly messiah." Oermann states. "I still feel that way today and I'll feel that way decades from now." Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the parents of three boys, Waylon, Cameron, and Casey.
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